The arts teach children that in complex forms of problem solving purposes are seldom fixed, but change with circumstance and opportunity. Learning in the arts requires the ability and a willingness to surrender to the unanticipated possibilities of the work as it unfolds.

Art forces humans to look beyond that which is necessary to survive and leads people to create for the sake of expression and meaning.

One key takeaway is that Tommy compromises by trying art the art teacher's way and also getting to try his own way as an artist. In the book, The Art Lesson, Tommy wants to be an artist when he gets older. He practices his art all of the time and listens to the advice of artists he knows who tell him to never copy.